Air valve for radiators and the like



Nov. 20, 1934. w. F. MACDONALD AIR VALVE FORRADIA'IORS AND THE LIKE Filed April 8, 1951 llllllllllllll! /////Illl|ll|ll! INVENTOR A'ITORNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1934 7 1,981,365 AIR VALVE FOR RADIIATORS AND THE LIKE William F. Macdonald,

Bridgeport, Conn., as-

signor to Bridgeport Brass Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application April 8, 1931, Serial No. 528,597 Claims.- (01. 236-61) This invention relates to improvements in air valves for radiators and the like and more especially to automatic valves for permitting the escape or discharge of air from a steam or similar I radiator and preventing the escape of steam. or

hot vapor therefrom and also preventing'the ingress of air into the radiator when the supply of steam or other heating'medium thereto is cut off.

'10 An object of this invention is the provision of a valve for radiators for heating systems which is provided with a valve-controlled vent to-permit the escape or discharge of the air from the radiator when the heating medium is turned on, and 16 which will automatically prevent the escape of the heating medium from the radiator and which will also prevent the ingress of air into the radiator when the supply of the heating medium is cut off. A further object of this invention is the provision of such a valve which is durable, simple in construction, eilective in operation and has other advantageous attributes as hereinafter pointed out. t To the accomplishment of the foregoing. and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming, a part hereof and which shows, merely. forthe purpose ofillustrative disclosure, apreferred embodiment of my invention, it being expressly understood, however,

that various changes may be made in practice within the scope of the claims without digressing from my inventive idea. i

In the drawing,- Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a complete valve structure constructed according to my invention, illustrated on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the discharge end of the valve construction taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 on a more enlarged scale.

, Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the casing of the valve construction.

The casing is of substantially cylindrical shape,-

the upper end being of the smallest diameter, the central portion 3 being of a larger diameter, and the lower end 4 being of the greatest diameter. The lower end is internally threaded as at 5 to receive the base member 6 which is provided with a shoulder or boss '1, the side surface'of which'is' screw threaded as at.8 to fit within, and be secured to, the lower end 4 of the casing or shell 1, which fits within the annular groove 9 formed in the base member 6 adjacent the shoulder or boss" 'lso as to form a tight joint therewith.

'The' lower. end 4 of the casing-or shell is provided at a suitable distance above the base member 6 with a threaded nipple 10 which is adapted to be received in athreaded opening in a radiator, or the like, the lower end 4 of the casing 1 being provided withopenings 11 adjacent. the nipple 10, whereby air escaping. or driven from theradiator by. the incoming heating mediumwill pass ,intothe'casing or shell '1- The bent or elbow'tube 12 ,extends'loosely through nipple 10, and op'ening 13 adjacent openings 11 into the casing or shell to drain off water from the casing 'I'hQl -Dper end of .the top, portionZ is, provided with an annular concave'shoulder 14 which is formed byQber'Iding orrolling the top of the portion ,2. n

' Extending fromthis shoulder 14 is an inwardly directed annular flange 15- which is adapted to receive the upperjr'educed end16 of the',,.bo'ss or nipplel'l. The parts are adapted to be connected by. ajfrictio'n'. joint and are driven together to form'the" construction shown in Figure z.v This boss or inipple 17 provides the valve seat for the valve, andis formed with an openingtherethrough. A portion 18 of this axial bore'is' of a 35 relatively small diameter, and connects --with:-the enlarged portion; 19 of the bore which tapers to form conical part 20. ,The shoulder21'isformed at .the junction of'the bores 18 and 19, andprovides a valve seat, for, the valve latergtofbedescribed. The top of the "casing or. shell'i "is provi'ded withv a cap member 22 which isformed at its bottornwith the bell-shaped fiange23 and is made so as to fit in and abut concave shoulder 14, and form a relatively tight fit therewith. The parts may be secured by solder or any other suitable means. The cap member 22 is provided with the air vents 24. i

Returning now to .the lower portion of the GB vice, it is to be noted that the top of base member 6 is provided with a further reduced shoulder portion 25 which receives the lower end of the collapsible metal bellows 26 which is permanently mounted thereon. The bellowsis formed of thin metal material and is expansible and contractible under the influence of variable pressures, and is sufliciently sensitive so as to respond to small pressure difierences. Apin member 27 is positioned within the bellows and issecured to the upper end 28 thereof, and has a reduced upper end 28 of the bellows.

the downward movement of the bellows and also functions to support the hollow float. member 5 about to be described.

tion 33 which forms the A cylindrical hollow float member 30, preferably formed of thin metal, is mounted within the casing or shell '1 and between the, bellows 26 and the boss-or- -nipple 1'7; -=This float member 80 has its lower end closed by a normally inwardly. bulged bottom plate 31 which engages the projecting reduced end 29 of the pin 27., A valve stem 32 is secured to the upper -end of the afloat memher and has a conically formed extreme" porvalve and avhich is adapted to engage the valve seat 2'1 when in-closed-po-' sition. The float member is airtight and preterably contains a small amountof alcohol or other suitable volatile liquid 34. v

The hollow member is centered and -g'uidedin its movement within the casing .or shell .1 by means or an "annular guide ring 1'35 "which is mounted .within the central; portion 3 of the casing or shell, an'd'is securedto the inside surIace thereof. The annularguide ring 35 is provided with an annular flange '36 to ,provide an opening 8'7 of somewhat larger diameter than that of the float member so astopermit thepassage of air and steam therebejtween'.

'Ihe'b'a'se member 6 is provided with an opening 38 which leads from the atmosphere to the interior-of bellows26 so as to maintain 'the'interior, of "the bellows at substantially atmospheric pressure. Howeverfthe'bellows maybe seale'dofl so that the interior is ;at atmospheric pressure.

The operation o'fithe device, assumingthat the valve is attached to a radiator, whichis cold and contains air, and in which steam or otherheating medium is to be introduced, ,is as .Lfollows. The incoming heating I medium .Lforces ,air out or the radiatorythrough the nipple IOJinto thecasing or shell 1, from which the air .eseapes through the bore .13 and lateral vents 24 to the. .a.tmosphere; When substantiallyall of 'thea'irihaslbeen forced from theradiator, the steamiorotherheab ing medium enters the casing r.:shell 1, immediately raising the temperature .of the volatile liquid within thefloat member an'dflthepressure within the float member until that pressu're is suflicient to force the. normally 'lnwardlybmged bottom 151513331 of the float member downwardly against theireduced end I29 01' Ithepin .27. downward movement ofgthe bottom plate of the float member is quick or in the form .oLa snap, and the movement thereoif' against the end of the pinforces the float 'memberiupwardly .as a -.whole andseats the 'valve 33 "against""the valveseat 21," thereby preventing "the escape of steam "from the radiator and the valve casing. When the supply I of steam or other heating medium is .:cut ,ot'f.

from the radiator, and thejatter, 'aswell as'the airvalve, cools, and the steamwithin the shell or casing of the 'valve condenses, "the pressure" within the casing is reduced. When this pressure decreases below atmospheric pressure, the bellows 26 Willimmediately expand. and move upwardly, holding 'thereduced end29 oiithe pin 2'7. against the bottom plate 31, 'thus holding the valve 3-3 against :seat 521 to preventthe ingress of air intothe casing or shell 1 andflthence' into the radiator. The interior of bellows "26 coma municates with the atmosphere bymeans of the opening 38 infthe casemember .6. The'bellows126 is made sufiicientlysensitive so.:as to .operateion small pressure differences, and when therejlilsa The pin member 27 limits -.or-springs back to its normal position.

ator. ,..When the supply of heating fluid is cut off from the radiator, the pressure in the casing or shell 1 gradually lessens, and the pressure within the .fioat member 30 lessens until the normally bulged bottom plate 31 of the float member moves When the pressure "within the casing 1 decreases, the bellows 26 immediately expands and holds the gval ve33 positively on the valve seat 21 and prevents the admission of air into the casing. This :occurs before bottom plate 31 of float member 30 has moved back to normal position due to ,the reduction of pressure within the floatji'member. In normal operation, the float memberf30 "fl nctions thermostatically to control the seating of the valve"33. In addition,"if water collects within the casing or shell 1 for any reason, the] float member is buoyed up andflpositively closes the valve. toprevent the escape'of water therefrom.

The pin27 in addition to engaging the end'of the float member, also acts as a stop to engage the base member 6'to preventthe abnormal collapsing of'thejbe'llows '26--under maximum pressure. v

"WhatI claimisi j I j "1. An air valve for aradiator or the like, including, in combination, a casing adapted itjofibe connected to a radiator, said casing being ,pro: vided with a vent near its upper vend,,;a hollow float member within the casing providedjj withfa valve at'its upper end to close said vent, part-of the float member being responsive .to pressure changes within said float member, an 'expansible and contractible bellows within thelo'wer part of, thecasinghaving apin member extending therethrough having engagement with the base-,oiltjlief. casing at one enqto formaiixedstopjthe other end oi the-pin'engaging said 'fioatimembell-wherm by 'whenfthe pressure within, the .float member increases the valve will "be closed, and whereby. when the pressure within the casingndecreasesg the valve'wi'll be closed. f f T 2. A device of the character described, .in'clud l ing incombination, a casing adapted'to beicon-i nected to a radiator, said'casingbeing. provided with a vent, a valve for controlling the passage of fluids through said-vent, afloat member within thecasing connected'to'said valve said' float memberhaving a normally inwardly bulged bottom end movable under changes 'in' pressure within said float member, .metallicibellows'within the casingprovided with means forenga iilg. said bottomend' of said float member, mama tallic bellows being responsive to pressure changes Within the casing, whereby .When'jthe' pressure within thefloat member increases, the

valve willbje closed, and when the pressnrewithe in the casing decreases the metallic bellowswill,

expand to cause thefloat member to movefsuf flciently to closesaid valve, saidmetallicbellows being provided with a pin whichlimits. the, C01. lapsing movement of said .metallic contact with the base ofthe casing. r

.3..,An air valve for a radiator or .the. like-including, in combination, atcasing adaptedito be connected to .a radiator, said casing bein pro.

vided witha vent near its upper-end a hollow bellows. ,byi

float member within the casing provided with a valve at its upper end to close said vent, part of the float member being responsive to the pressure changes within said float member, a plug member secured to the lower end of said casing and provided with an annular shoulder, and an expansible and contractible bellows within the lower part of the casing and mounted on said annular shoulder on said plug member, said bellows having a pin member extending therethrough having engagement with the plug member at one end to form a fixed stop, the other end of the pin engaging said float member, whereby when the pressure within the float member increases, the valve will be closed, and whereby when the pressure within the casing decreases, the valve will be closed.

4. An air valve for a radiator or the like, including, in combination, a casing adapted to be connected to a radiator, the said casing being provided with a vent, a valve for controlling the passage of fluids through said vent, a plug member secured to the lower end of said casing, bellows mounted on said plug member for actuating said valve and extending into said casing, means for limiting the collapsing movement of said bellows, a hollow float member associated with said bellows, and a flanged ring secured to the inside of said casing for guiding said float member while permitting the passage of fluids thereby.

5. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a casing adapted to be connected to a radiator, said casing being provided with a vent near its upper end, a hollow float member within the casing provided with a valve at its upper end to close said vent, part of the float member being responsive to the pressure changes within said float member, a plug member secured to the lower end of said casing and provided with an annular shoulder, an expansible and contractible bellows within the lower part of said casing and mounted on said annular shoulder on said plug member, said plug member having an opening therethrough for permitting communication between the interior of said bellows and the atmosphere, said bellows having a pin member extending therethrough having engagement with the plug member at one end to form a fixed stop, the other end of the pin engaging said float member, whereby when the pressure within the float member increases, the valve will be closed, and whereby when the pressure within the casing decreases, the valve will be closed, and means including a flanged ring secured to the interior surface of said casing for guiding said hollow float member while permitting the passage of fluids thereby.

WILLIAM F. MACDONALD. 

